Punk Goes Pop 5
Review by Haley Black
The Punk Goes… series established by Fearless Records continues with Punk Goes Pop Volume 5, where alternative artists can either butcher a cover of your favorite pop song, or cause you to love those terrible, overplayed songs heard on the radio. The songs featured on the album are usually Top 40 songs with a unique twist put on them by artists including Breathe Carolina, Forever The Sickest Kids, Craig Owens, and more.
Over time, catchy songs that get stuck in your head whether you like it or not, become so repetitive that they simply get old and die out. For example, how many times did you hear “Somebody That I Used To Know” over the summer until it became just another song that you used to love? Mayday Parade brings new life to their version of the Gotye song with assistance from Vic Fuentes of Pierce The Veil. By adding a more powerful, upbeat vibe, they have managed to resurrect the song back from the dead.
Another engaging track is “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” made famous by Cyndi Lauper. The Maine, alongside Taking Back Sunday’s Adam Lazzara, chose to cover a classic rather than a current Billboard hit. They turn the song into a solid rock piece, making it completely their own. John O’Callaghan and Lazzara harmonize each other quite nicely with the slight raspiness of their voices. They truly make a dynamic duo. There probably aren’t many guys that can belt out “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” and make it sound this awesome.
Also, what would this year’s Pop Goes Punk be without a little Bieber? Go ahead, admit it, you have been caught singing Justin Bieber a time or two. Don’t be ashamed; now everyone can use the excuse that they are really singing the Issues version of “Boyfriend.” Tyler Carter’s voice is undeniably amazing, and so are the guitar riffs in this song. His short lived solo career as an R&B artist makes him a good match to sing some JB. This flawless cover adds a whole other dimension to the song, and as always, Carter’s clean vocals and Michael Bohn’s screams fuse together perfectly.
The Punk Goes Pop collection gives bands a chance to use their creative energy to modify music outside of their genre and make it their own. Most of the bands featured on this compilation put in an honest effort at transforming popular songs to match their trademark sounds, and they surely had a great time doing so. However, a few of the songs are nothing spectacular. Whether you favor the original or the cover, there is no denying that every one of these songs are insanely catchy and have infectious melodies.
Overall Rating: 4/5
Recommended Tracks: “Glad You Came” and “Boyfriend”
